Friday, August 12, 2011

Vaccine for Celiac Disease finishes it's Phase 1 Trial

For people who have CD (Celiac Disease) or gluten intolerance as little as 15 milligrams of gluten or 100th of a slice of bread can damage the bowel and with many on a GF (Gluten Free) diet after 5 years up to half of the people studied still have damage and the failure of the "gut" to heal leads to more health problems. It was these findings that led to the search for a vaccine to desensitise the gut to gluten.


34 test subjects were double blinded to test the safety of the new Nexvax2 vaccine for patients diagnosed with CD. All patients were HLA-DQ 2 positive with CD following a strict GF diet.


In all, 19 subjects received the vaccine. Three different doses were administered (30, 60, 90 micrograms). Side effects were common with higher doses and included; nausea, vomiting and one subject having to withdraw from the trial due to “severe gastrointestinal symptoms”. In several cases the injection caused symptoms similar to that of typical gluten exposure. 






I have mixed feelings about the vaccine because I truly think that eating whole foods made by me is the best thing for me therefore I don't need to have a vaccine. But, and this is a big but, when I travel I am at the mercy of others and that's when a vaccine would be good for me. I have been on "vacation" for the last two weeks and I have had to stay in a hotel without any food making opportunities. This has left my health at the mercy of others and I think that I have been "glutened" twice during the two weeks (pain, nausea and diarrhea) and I feel dreadful in myself. 


Don't get me wrong I like to eat out with friends but it's always a roll of the dice when I do. It's a shame for me to feel this way but I can't wait to get home just so I can feel normal again. It absolutely ruins any trip for me if I can't go self-catering, just imagine yourself having to worry about every single meal, having to explain your dietary needs over and over again ad nauseam, it's a real drag and I really do need to have that total control over the food I put in my body. 

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